Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Many high school basketball standouts in Wisconsin go on to big things at the college level and in the pros, and this is our spot to recognize those athletes each week and help you keep up with what is going down on some of your favorite players from the past. If you have alumni news, please send it to Colton Wilson by 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Basketball is back! All over the country, college kids are getting back on the hardwood. Hundreds of kids from the state of Wisconsin play basketball at the next level. For a full list of Division 1 players, see the Division 1 Preview.

Division 1-3, NAIA, and JUCO ball is one to two weeks into their seasons. However, the NBA is already a month into their extraordinarily long season.

All year, the Alumni Round-up will highlight players from the state of Wisconsin who have set records, hit milestones and achieved success at the collegiate and pro levels of basketball.

Tyler Herro burst onto the NBA scene two years ago in his rookie season with the Miami Heat. The Whitnall High School grad was a bench contributor for the Heat before becoming a big time shot maker in the bubble of the NBA Playoffs. After what some considered a sophomore slump, Herro is playing better than ever. The third year guard is averaging 21.9 points per game while shooting nearly 40% from the field and 46% from beyond the arc. Herro, playing primarily as the sixth man, is also averaging 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

Hailing from that same 2018 class as Herro, Tyrese Haliburton has been an impressive and extremely efficient pro with the Sacramento Kings. The former Oshkosh North standout is in his second season in the NBA and has already been lauded for his playmaking ability. This season, Haliburton is averaging 13.4 points per game; shooting 41% from the field and 47% from three. The second year lengthy guard also averaged 5.6 assists per game.

Jordan Poole played most of his high school basketball at Milwaukee King before transferring to La Lumiere his senior year. After spending two seasons at Michigan, Poole entered the NBA Draft where he was selected 28th overall by the Golden State Warriors. In his third season in the NBA, he is the third leading scorer on one of the best teams in the NBA. Averaging 17.2 points and 3.2 assists per game, Poole has filled a much needed scoring roll for the Warriors with Klay Thompson still sidelined with injury.

Patrick Baldwin Jr. graduated from Sussex Hamilton High School last year with lofty expectations and pro aspirations. In his freshman season at UW-Milwaukee, he's gotten off to an incredible start. The two-time All-State selection tallied two double-doubles and averaged 20 points and 10.5 rebounds through two games for the Panthers. Baldwin Jr. was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week for the first of what may be many times.

Sticking in the Horizon League, Grant Basile has come out of the gates scorching hot for Wright State. Through two games the Pewaukee grad averaged 25 points and nine rebounds, shooting a blistering 62% from the field. In a 96-88 loss to Marshall, he scored a career high 37 points. For his hot start, Basile was named the Horizon League Player of the Week.

Despite achieving success at Valparaiso as a freshman, Jacob Ognacevic chose to transfer after his freshman season to Lipscomb. The Sheboygan Lutheran grad has put up some gaudy numbers coming off the bench in the first four games. He's averaging 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Bison, including a 30 point, seven rebound performance in the season opening 105-98 win over Birmingham So. Ognacevic was named the Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Week in his first week of action.

Alondes Williams previously played basketball at Oklahoma and Triton College before transferring to Wake Forest prior to this year. The Milwaukee Riverside grad has helped the Demon Deacons to a 2-0 start to the year by shooting lights out. Williams is averaging 27 points per game while shooting 73% from the field, to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Fellow transfer Jordan McCabe has found success at his new home. The former Kaukauna grad and Mr. Basketball in 2018 transferred from West Virginia to UNLV this past offseason. McCabe is seeing more playing time with the Running Rebels and is averaging ten points and three assists per game.

Storm Murphy tallied over 1,300 points and 450 assists in four years at Wofford before transferring to Virginia Tech this season. Murphy, a Middleton High School grad, has started every game for the Hokies and has averaged over eleven points early on.

Max Klesmit was a teammate of Storm Murphy last season at Wofford and has taken up the scoring mantle Murphy left this season. The Neenah graduate is averaging over 16 points per game for the Terriers through the first week of the season. He had a a team high 23 points in the 117-79 season opening win over Bob Jones University.

Tyrese Hunter won his last prep basketball game in Wisconsin, hoisting the gold ball after winning the WIAA Division 3 State Title with Racine St. Catherine's. Now, the three-time All-State selection is starting and contributing for Iowa State. Hunter is averaging ten points and six assists early on for the Cyclones.

Kevion Taylor spent the last four seasons dominating teams in the Division 2 Northern Sun Conference. Scoring over 1,600 points and Winona State, Taylor then transferred to Valparaiso this past offseason. Early on for the Beacons, the Whitnall alum has proven he can hang at the next level. Taylor is averaging 14 points, 4.5 rebounds and four assists.

Patrick Cartier has been dominating the Division 2 basketball scene for the last two seasons at Hillsdale. The former Brookfield East standout was the Player of the Year in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference last season and was named a D2 All-American. He's picking up right where he left off, pouring in back-to-back 30 point games for the Chargers in their two opening wins. Cartier is shooting over 70% while scoring that much.

Michigan Tech has a trio of alumni in their starting lineup this season in Rhinelander's Owen White, Kaukauna's Eric Carl and Stoughton's Adam Hobson. White comes into the year having already surpassed 1,000 points in his career. Each of those three has scored at least 15 points in a game early on for the Huskies. Off the bench, Germantown's Kyle Clow also sees minutes for Tech.

Deang Deang has played college ball at both Highland Community College and Eastern Illinois, but is spending the 2021-22 season at Academy of Art in Belmont, California. In a 78-74 overtime win over Sonoma State, the Madison East grad was as efficient as you can be on the basketball court scoring 20 points on nine of nine shooting, while adding ten rebounds.

Like Deang, Victor Nwagbarachoa played basketball at Highland Community College before landing at his current home of Drury University. The Pius XI Catholic alum is a scoring machine off the bench early on. Victor is averaging seventeen points and seven rebounds for the Panthers through their first few games.

Luke Haasl is in his second season at Saint Leo and has worked his way into the starting lineup. The Oshkosh West grad shot 11 of 13 from the field en route to 23 points in a 74-64 win over Montevallo last week. Haasl added eight rebounds.

Drew Blair has been named to the All-Northern Sun Second Team twice before this season at Minnesota Duluth. The Stevens Point grad is looking to improve upon that and earn first team honors this season. Blair has started out looking like he may accomplish that. Through the first week of the season, he averaged 23 points, six rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 59% from the field. Blair was named the Northern Sun-North Division Player of the Week for guiding Duluth to a pair of wins.

Starting off just as strongly in the Northern Sun Conference is Winona State's Alec Rosner. A former Kimberly standout, Rosner is averaging 21 points per game while shooting 61% from the field and 58% from three. In a 79-68 win over Pittsburg State, he had a game high 28 points and added six rebounds.

Ethan Anderson has begun the 2021-22 season on a tear for UW-La Crosse. The Black River Falls grad averaged 18.5 points and four rebounds per game for the Eagles in their two games at the Virginia Wesleyan University TowneBank Tipoff Tournament. Anderson was named the MVP of the tournament. He was also named the WIAC Player of the Week for his hot start on the hardwood.

Tyler Gouin was a scoring machine for Marian in a 91-81 win over Lawrence University a few weeks ago. Making 16 of 22 shots from the field, the Arrowhead grad scored a career high 42 points. Gouin added five rebounds as he went on to be named the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference Player of the Week.

Look for more D3, NAIA, and JUCO highlights in future Alumni Round-Ups!